Safety valve for gas burners



May 3, 1932. A. KALo 1,856,641

SAFETY VALVE FOR GAS BURNERS Filed Jan. 7, 1930 YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII.

31a/manto@ Patented May 3, 1932 PATENT OFFICE 4.ALBERT KALO, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO SAFETY VALVE FOR GAS BURNERS Application filed January 7, 1930.

This invention relates to automatic gas cut-OHS for use in connection with burners of gas'stoves or the like and has for its principal object the provision of an automatic cut- 6 off for gas burners, whereby the accidental extinguishing of the iiame will cause a valve topoperate, stopping the iow of gas from the main supply pipe to the burner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of the class mentioned having a thermostatic rod disposed within Vthe heating zone of the burner and operated, upon expansion. to hold the valve in an open position'. When the flame is extinguished the thermostatic rod contracts permitting the valve to close and shut off the gas flow.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic gas shut-off which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture and positive in its operation.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described in the specification and pointed out in the appended claims.v

For a further understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, Vwherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a gas burner and associated valve mechanism employed y. in the present invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 ofFigure l, Figure 3 is an'enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the air inlet end of the mixing conduit and the auxiliary automatic valve,

Figure 4: is a horizontal sectional View taken on'the line 4.-4 of Figure 3 disclosing in plan the auxiliary'valve member in its active position,

Figure 5 is a similar view showing the valve in its inactive position, and

Serial No. 419,174.

pressure or by a gust of wind flooding the room or place with deadly gas fumes, which in a great many cases has proved fatal to the occupants. Children frequently open such valves or again thesupply of gas in the main or conduits supplying the burner may for certain reasons be discontinued which, as above stated, permits the gas to escape unless controlled by the main valve.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l designates a gas burner structure of the type commonly employed in connection with gas burning stoves, ranges, hot water heaters and the like. This structure, which comprises a burner head 2, a gas supply pipe 3, a manually operated main valve 4, and a mixing conduit 5, into which gas from the supply pipe 3 is delivered by the opening of the valve 4, in which conduit air-from the atmosphere is intimately mixed with the gaseous fuel and delivered in com. mingled form to the burner head for combustion purposes. The conduit 5 includes a large mixing chamber 6 at the forward end thereof which includes any apertured front wall 7. This wall in this instance is made separate from the conduit 5 and is secured thereto by means of screws or other fastening devices 8. The amount of air entering the mixing chamber 6 is governed, as usual, by controlling the positions of a disk 9 to enlarge or diminish the effective areas of the apertures at the walls 7 and 9 through which the air enters the mixing chamber. The wall 7 is provided with a longitudinally and axially extending nipple 10, which is formed to include a longitudinally extending bore l1. The outer end of this bore is enlarged and threaded for the reception of the inner end of the valve casing 12 of the manually A operated valve 4, while the opposite end of the casing 12 is threadedly received within an opening formed in the supply pipe 3. The casing 12 is, as usual, provided with al rotatable valve plug 13, formed with an opening 14 which registers with aligned passages l5 provided in the casing l2. When these parts are positioned as described, gas may pass from the supply pipe 3 to the manually operated valve 4 and thence into the nipple "-f' section 10 for admittance into the mixing chamber 6. The valve plug 13 is operated by the usual' handle 16 and is adapted to be retained in its positions of adjustment by a spring 17 all of whichV are customary constructions.

The auxiliary valve mechanism, which comprises the present invention, forms a safety attachment for any standard form o f burner construction and is designated in its entirety by the numeral 18. Preferably, this mechanism comprises a valve plug 19, having a passage 20 extending diametrically through it, and so arranged thatby rotating the valve plug 19 the passage 2O is brought into and out'of registration with the passage 11. Mounted rigidly upon the valve plug 19 isa plate `or extension. 21, whereby it is actuated.- The lower end of the valve plug`19 is f threadedv for lthe Vreception of la retainingnut 22 for holding the valve member in an operative relation within theend ofthe nipple 10. Pivotally connected to the extension or plate 21 as at'23-is the inner end of an actuating lever24. The lever 24'includes a forwardly and outwardly protruding arm 25'which extends through themixing chamberand through-registering openings formed in the wall 7 and the disk 9, the said arm teras shown in Figure 5, to restrictV gas flow through the longitudinal bore 11 ofthe nipple section 10, thus preventing the flow ofgasy into the mixing chamber independently of the manualvalve 4.

- To control the automatic functioning of ther valve member 19 there is provided a thermostatic rod or element l29 of a material preferably of metal which responds quickly in the matter vof expansion and contraction, to the influence of the heat generated by the combustioniof gas in the burner head. One end of the thermostatic rod 29 is rigidly secured by means ofy a screw 30 to the inner wall of the tubular passage 31 formed, as is customary, in the burner head 2. The other end of the rod-29 is adapted to engage the arcuate sur.- face .32 of the plate 21 arranged jat right angles to the vertical axis of the valve member 19. The arcuate surface 32 forms a portion of a circle and has the same axis as that of the valve member 19 and is of such length as-` to have a rubbing' engagement with the end of the'rod 29 during part of its rotating movementY withrthe valve member 19. The

plate 21 is also formed with a cut away portion leaving a surface 33 spaced from the rod 23 when the valve is in its inactive position lthus preventing undue rubbing action and wear upon the end of the rod. To keep the o uter end of the rod 29 in its position relative to the disk the conduit 5 1s provided with a bearing 34 through" which the rod 29` is positioned foi` sliding movement when expanded and contracted during the functioning of theburner'structure.

By the provision of the disk 21 and its po- 'sitioningV with resp-ect to*Y the rodV 29 it will son it is slidably received for free and unob- Y structedmovement in aan opening formed in the wall of the passage 31.

ln view of 'the foregoing it. will be seen that the present'inventionV provides a simple, substantially automatic Yauxiliary .f valve structure` for use in combination with gas burners whereby uncontrolled lescape vof gas from such a burn-er is ede'ctively precluded. To operate the burner to admit of gas flowit is first necessary to open the valve member 4 as usual. Following this't-he finger portion 26 of the lever 24 -is forced inwardly so that the valve member 19 will bev rotated aligning the passage 20with the bore 11 Vof the nipple 10. Theopening 'of the bore 11 allows gas to flow into a mixing conduit 5 where it is intermingled with air and delivered to the burner head in combustible proportions. Combustion may then be started at theburner head by any'suitablemeans so that heat is immediately developed at the burner in the vicinity ofthe inner end of the rod 29. 'This heat acts upon the rod 29 to effect its expansion. As ya matter o'f fact, thefoperation is f substantially instantaneous as after combustion has been initiated' at the burner head, the expansion of the rod 29 operates to maintain the valve member 19 in its open position by impinging vagainst thearcuate surface 32 at which time the finger portion 26 may be released and the burner structure will then operate in the normal manner. The closing ofthe valve 4 arrest-s combustion at thehead 2. so that the rod 29 will contract, and become slightly spaced from' the arcuate Vsurface 32 allowing the spring 27 to move the valve member 19 to its normal position of bore closure. the mere opening of the valve 4 will not permit of gas escape unless combustion is initiated at theburner head. A

The various parts above described are lo- It will therefore be evident that cated comparatively close together and are conveniently arranged so that the operator can readily actuate the handle 16 ofthe valve 4f and also engage the linger piece 26 With the same hand and thus actuate the parts controlled by said lfinger piece While lighting the burner with the other hand in cases Where a pilot light is not employed. The auxiliary valve mechanism and the thermostatic rod are located Within the burner structure and are thus protected from injury and from being tampered with. The auxiliary valve mechanism has the advantage of being extremely simple in construction and requires no adjust-ment of parts after once being installed.

In the modified form of the invention disclosed in Figure 6 the rotatable disk 35 provided upon the valve member is formed With a shoulder1 36 with Which the end of the thermostatic rod 29 engages after being expanded by the heat of the burner. This construction differs from the preferred form of my invention in that instead of the rod 29 iinpinging the periphery of the disk, the same is free to expand longitudinally to form a positive stop preventing the closing of the valve until the thermostatic rod has cooled or contracted, freeing the shoulder 36 and permitting the closing of the valve due to the action of the spring 27.

While there has been shown and described What I consider to be the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not Wish to limit myself to the precise structure or details herein shown and described, but that changes, alterations and modifications as come Within the claims may be resorted to when desired.

What is claimed is:

l. In a gas burner, a gas and air inlet conduit having an air mixer casing at one end thereof, a valve in said casing for controlling gas flow therethrough, said valve including a rotatable port controlling member having a head at one end, manually operating means connecting said head and leading to the exterior of said air mixer casing, a thermostatic rod Within said conduit having one end thereof seated Within the heating zone of said burner and its other end in close proximity to said head and operative when expanded by the heat from the burner to impinge upon said head to hold the valve in an open position, said head and thermostatic rod being positioned to one side of the outlet of said valve so as not to interfere with the free gas flow issuing from said outlet.

2. In a gas burner, a gas and air inlet conduit having an air mixer at its outer end, a plug valve positioned Within said mixer for controlling the gas iovv therethrough, said valve having its outlet -end arranged in alignment with the longitudinal axis of said conduit, a head provided at one end of the plug valve, means for effecting the operation of said valve from the exterior of said mixer and conduit, and a thermostatic element Within said conduit responsive to the heat of the burner and engaging said head for holding said valve in an open position, said element being positioned to one side of the longitudinal axis of said conduit.

3. In a gas burner, a mixing conduit, a gas supply pipe entering said mixing conduit, a valve in said pipe, an automatically closed auxiliary valve in the inner end of said supply pipe and positioned Within the outer end of said mixing conduit, a rotatable port controlling member in said auxiliary valve including an arcuate enlargement at one end arranged exterior of said valve, means for eiecting the actuation of said auxiliary valve from the exterior of said mixing conduit, a thermostatic element Within said conduit responsive to the heat of the burner and adapted to engage With said enlargement to hold said valve in open position, means for automatically closing said auxiliary valve upon the contraction of said thermostatic element, said element being positioned to one side of the longitudinal axis of said conduit.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALBERT KALO. 

